It is well known that electronic and electrical devices are very sensitive to damage caused by contamination by liquids such as environmental liquids, in particular water. Contact with liquids, either in the course of normal use or as a result of accidental exposure, can lead to short circuiting between electronic components, and irreparable damage to circuit boards, electronic chips etc.
The problem is particularly acute in relation to small portable electronic equipment such as mobile phones, pagers, radios, hearing aids, laptop, notebook, palmtop computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs), which can be exposed to significant liquid contamination when moved outside. In addition, they are prone to accidental exposure to liquids, for example if dropped or splashed.
In addition, other types of electronic or electrical devices are particularly prone to for example, environmental damage because of their location, for example outdoor lighting systems, radio antenna and other forms of communication equipment.
However, most devices of this type are damaged by accidental spillage or the like. Particular examples may include desktop devices such as keyboards, or instrumentation for instance used in control rooms.
A particular problem arises in relation to devices which are used in sound reproduction and which utilise transducers such as loudspeakers, microphones, ringers and buzzers. These are particularly susceptible to damage by liquid contamination, either as a result of accidental exposure or from environmental factors such as rain or spray in use. In many cases, the membranes or diaphragms used in the devices, particularly the most economical ones, are liquid absorbent to some degree, and when exposed to water for example, will absorb considerable amounts. This affects the operability of the transducer significantly and the quality of the sound reproduction therefore suffers.